Lions player ratings – the incredible, the unlucky & the poor

From the mouths of the British and Irish Lions we have heard plenty about how much they have loved this tour, how they revelled in each other’s company, and how they have learned from Andy Farrell’s coaching.

The overall narrative is that their lives were spent. One double Grand Slam winner said the series triumph trumps everything he has achieved in his career. The class of ’25’s bonds were close.

It is difficult to know what to make of these Lions though.

In the first Test, Joe Schmidt, who otherwise excels, was held responsible for the underperformance of the Wallabies.

They had to do without the great Will Skelton for the first and for much of the second Test, while their best player, Rob Valetini, was fit for just 40 minutes of the whole series.

However, the Wallabies won in Melbourne before outlasting the Lions in Sydney. The Lions won the series 2-1, but did not take it 3-0 – which was their oft-stated goal.

The Wallabies won four of the rugby matches that had been played in six halves. This was a good Lions team with a sprinkling of great players, but nowhere near a great team.

How did the players who participated in more than one game compare to one another in terms of individual performance?

Incredible Tadhg Beirne. Wasn’t at his best when he arrived on tour but he became an utter machine as time went on, power, carries, tackle count, minutes played. A fantastic tour and the Lions’ Player: A Guidebook. 9.5

Ollie Chessum: Joe McCarthy’s injury prevented him from making his way to the Melbourne Test team, but he was dropped from the bench for the third Test. Only 24, he’ll be back in 2029.7

One of 11 players who started all three Tests, Jack Conan. Conan was brutally harsh on his own performance in the second Test in Melbourne, but he was robust all tour, a powerful man. Good, but not quite at full throttle. 7.5%

Luke Cowan-Dickie: Played well in both of his Australian starts, but his game-time ended in a horrifying headbutt in the AUNZ Invitational. Would have put heat on Ronan Kelleher for a Test bench spot. 6. 6.5

Scott Cummings: Got off to a nightmarish start when failing to deal with restarts against the Western Force. He was fantastic after that. Bounced back with a fine performance against the Waratahs and was strong again versus First Nations and Pasifika. 6. 6.5

Tom Curry: Looks permanently exhausted, but what a sensational player. every single time emptys the tank. Demonic physical presence. Set the tone with a thumping hit on James Slipper in the opening Test, which remained constant. 9 .

Ben Earl: Always smiling with his face fixed on his face when he traveled through Australia. Clearly loved every second of life as a Lion. and succeeded. A bench spot in two of the three Tests. Although he may have had a bad luck in Melbourne, his work ethic was excellent throughout. 7.5%

Has now started nine Lions Tests in a row, which is freaky considering the modern era. Had not played much rugby coming on to the tour but got better and better. He fought through the third Test, which was a challenging night. A Lions great. 8. 5

Ellis Genge: An excellent tour for the loosehead prop. In most of his games, he was a big ball carrier and very strong in the scrum. Started the first Test and was powerful. In those crucial late-to-the-game moments, Came off the bench for the second Test and assisted in the Lions’ advance. 8 .

Joe McCarthy: Established himself as Itoje’s second-row partner with some big games, especially against the Western Force on match one in Australia. He ejected from the blocks. Was an effective enforcer in the first Test but injury claimed him thereafter. He at least had a taste of it. At 24, this won’t be his last rodeo. 7.5%

Jac Morgan: Fans of all four nations adopted Morgan as the lone Welshman after Tomos Williams went home. One of the most contentious moments in Lions history was The Clearout, and he was at the center. Was terrific against the Reds and First Nations and Pasifika, and totally deserved his two Test caps. A competent player 7.

Henry Pollock: Arrived with a fanfare and with some predicting a Test spot. He is a very talented player who performed well, but he is currently far beyond his capabilities when it comes to playing test rugby. Only a kid and will come again – bigger, stronger and wiser for this experience. 6. 6.5

Andrew Porter: Wasn’t fully comfortable out there and struggled in the scrum against the mighty Taniela Tupou in the third Test. A fantastic prop, but lacking in all of his abilities. 7 .

James Ryan: Was the forgotten man until he performed incredibly well against First Nations and Pasifika, and then made a huge comeback in the second Test. He blasted his way through those closing minutes. His third Test participation came to an end in the most awful way due to a sickening blow to his head. 7 .

Pierre Schoeman: Always going to be third in line for loosehead, but he always had a good time and was charismatic in everything he did. International prop and budding poet, if you have watched the Lions ‘ behind-the-scenes films. You could tell that he cherished every second on the road. 6. 6.5

The world’s best hooker, Dan Sheehan, is unquestionably the best. Scored tries in the first and second Test, scrummaged well, carried with the pace and dexterity of a top class centre but with the power of a beast. Tom Lynagh’s head in Sydney had a black mark on its shoulder. Lucky to avoid a red card. 8. 5

Will Stuart: Scored the final try of the tour – a consolation, but still a nice moment. Stuart took a slow start, but he picked up speed as the second Test progressed. 7 .

Elliot Daly: What might have been. was on a storming tour and appeared to be a guarantee of a Test match when he was cut down in his prime in his first game against the Queensland Reds, his 11th consecutive Lions gameday 23 game. Cruel. 6. 6.5

Owen Farrell: The tour was sleepy hollow until the news came through that Faz Jnr had been called up by Faz Snr. Cue people talking about rights and wrongs in a loud voice. Pretty non-descript on the field even though he came on in two Tests. Before taking the lead in the encounters with First Nations and Pasifika, his excellent press conference was the best. A fascinating and rare insight into the now four-time Lion. 6 .

Tommy Freeman: Brilliant against the Reds early on. Against the Brumbies, was fine. Had a poor first Test. was excellent in the third. The third was a constant battle. 6. 6.5

Jamison Gibson-Park: Passing was so slick in the lead-up to the series-winning try in Melbourne. A world-class athlete who struggled during the Sydney monsoon. 7.5%

Andy Farrell adored Mack Hansen, and he undoubtedly had a dream to play rugby in the Test until injury ruined his success. 6 .

Hugo Keenan: A shocker against the Waratahs after being ill early in the season. Blair Kinghorn looked a very hot favourite for the full-back jersey at that point. However, Keenan showed some resilience in his subsequent game against AUNZ, winning the test with a try, and doing so was excellent. He was one of the Lions ‘ best players in defeat in the third. 8 .

James Lowe: By his lofty standards, a poor tour. Lowe couldn’t find his confidence after setting up Beirne for a significant score in the second Test. 5.5

Alex Mitchell: Playing in every game, he seemed to set a new record, but he just fell short. Was on the bench eight times in Australia. Gibson-Park was a strong understudy, overcoming Ben White’s challenge for Test status. 6. 6.5

Garry Ringrose: The most unfortunate tour in human history, and probably any other. Would almost certainly have started all three Tests because he was flying. He was cursed by a concussion. His mark would have been a whole lot higher otherwise. 6. 6.5

Finn Russell: Was in ‘ player of the series ‘ territory before Sydney, which was a savagely hard day for a fly-half. He was a joy, overall. Wasn’t at his best in the second Test but when it came to those game-winning moments at the end, he was immense. 8. 5

Fin Smith: Never really got going after the loss to Argentina in Dublin. began with First Nations & Pasifika, AUNZ Invitational, and the Waratahs. He’s young though, and will have learned a lot. 6 .

Marcus Smith: Played a lot of rugby on tour in a number of different positions, but nearly all of it was off the bench. played the utility back role that came into play when Daly left town and participated in the first and second Tests. 6. 6.5

What might have happened is Sione Tuipulotu. Scored the opening try of the first Test after a sumptuous pass from Russell, but was dropped for the second (and then subsequently picked up a tight hamstring). Farrell called Bundee Aki after that initial call, and it was incredibly dubious. Farrell said Tuipulotu was 85% fit ahead of the final Test, so he missed out. In due course, it will be interesting to learn the Scotland Center’s opinion on that. 7 .

Duhan van der Merwe: Never quite captured a Test spot, but finished as the top Lions try-scorer. A freakishly talented finisher, but there are just too many flaws in the rest of his game. 6. 6.5

Ben White: Came in for the injured Williams and looked sharp to the point that he cannot have been a million miles away from winning a Test bench spot. 6. 6.5